Pitha fest held in the heart of New Zealand

Bangladeshi community members in Wellington, New Zealand took the initiative to invite all local residents to celebrate a 'Pitha Utshob' with a colourful function and a wide range of pithas. The Pitha Utshob was held on 1 October, 2016 at Northland Memorial Community Centre and brought together participating women from the community who prepared and displayed the pithas, preparation techniques, and recipes from different regions of Bangladesh. 

The Chief Guest of the event was Professor Tony van Zijl, Honourary Consul of Bangladesh. A large number of the Bengali community members including some locals from Wellington were also present.

The event started with a recitation from the Holy Quran followed by the national anthem of Bangladesh. A short-length video clip showcasing tourist attractions of Bangladesh was presented before the audience. Following the video was a speech by Professor Tony where he greeted all community members on this occasion. He also offered assistance with consular related matters to the community. Abdur Razzaq Khan, a renowned member of the Bangladeshi community also expressed gratitude to the organisers.

The event ended with a dinner served with delicious traditional Bangladeshi dishes and of course with varieties of mouth-watering pithas.